Household Electronics Program Change FAQ

As of October 1, 2022, Pinellas County Solid Waste’s HHW Program will continue to collect certain household electronics. Collected household electronics will be sent to the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Facility (not to a private recycler) where metals will be recovered and recycled, and energy will be recovered from the hard-to-recycle plastic casing.

The household electronics collected through the HHW Program and affected by this change are:

• Televisions
• Computer monitors
• Central processing units (CPUs)
• Laptops and tablets
• Cell phones
• Items with rechargeable batteries that cannot be removed

This change will take effect at 7:00 a.m. on October 1, 2022.

There are many recycling and reuse options for Pinellas County residents. Working household electronics can be recycled through drop off and takeback programs. Usable household electronics can also be donated or gifted.

• Visit Pinellas County’s Where Does It Go? Search Tool, select “For Homes” and enter the name of the item you are looking to discard. In seconds, you will have several convenient reuse, recycling, and disposal options available to you. Note: The search tool will recognize synonyms. For example, if you type in “iPhone” or “Samsung Galaxy”, simply select options for “cell phone.”
• Visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of Where to Donate or Recycle.

Yes. Residents are advised to first view the options for reusing or recycling household electronics listed in the Where Does It Go? Search Tool for a drop off location closest to them.

Resident may also place household electronics in the garbage.

If the items contain a rechargeable battery that cannot be removed from the device, residents should take items with rechargeable batteries to drop off locations using the Where Does It Go? Search Tool.

Yes. Prior to disposal, residents are encouraged to explore reuse and recycling options for discarded household electronics using the resources above.

If a resident opts to discard household electronics in the garbage, the items will be sent to the Solid Waste Disposal Complex where the plastic components will be converted to energy and the metals will be recovered, then recycled. The SWDC recovers and recycles approximately 16,000 tons of metal each year from ash after garbage is burned in the WTE Facility.

If an item, such as a large flat screen television, does not fit in a resident’s garbage container or dumpster, residents should consult the guide to countywide bulky waste pickup services.

Residents should take items with rechargeable batteries to drop off locations using the Where Does It Go? Search Tool. Rechargeable batteries can cause fires when compressed by equipment and endanger workers and buildings, so they should not be discarded in garbage or recycling collection containers.

Household electronics that are placed in the garbage will be processed with regular garbage at the Solid Waste Disposal Complex, which includes the WTE Facility.

At the WTE Facility, garbage is turned into energy and metals are recovered from ash for recycling. The WTE Facility has a state-of-the-art air pollution control system that cleans emissions. To prevent water pollution, the SWDC has an environmental control system that keeps water on site and monitors it for regulatory compliance.

Residents should take items with rechargeable batteries to drop off locations using the Where Does It Go? Search Tool. Rechargeable batteries can cause fires when compressed by equipment and endanger workers and buildings, so they should not be discarded in garbage or recycling collection containers.

The HHW Center currently receives 460 tons of household electronics in an average year.

In comparison, the Solid Waste Disposal Complex (SWDC) receives 1.2 million tons of garbage in a year, or 3,800 tons on an average day.

To put the amount of household electronics collected each year in perspective, the Solid Waste Disposal Complex receives 460 tons of garbage by 7:30 a.m. on an average day.

According to DSW’s 2022 Waste Composition Study, the SWDC receives approximately 6,800 tons of electronic waste each year. In other words, residents currently dispose of household electronic waste in the garbage.

Businesses are advised to take electronic waste to be recycled via a drop-off or takeback program, which can be found in the Where Does It Go? Search Tool, select “For Businesses” and enter the name of the item you are looking to discard.

Pinellas County offers Business Electronics and Chemical Collection Days for electronic waste. Dates, locations, prices, and accepted items are listed on the webpage linked above.

View DSW’s recorded Public Information Session on YouTube. You also may email recycle@pinellas.gov with additional questions.